The Sandbox Campaign

from Bran Stryker

My Lord Stoneshield,

I know that, like the others I have written, you will never read this letter in this life, for you have passed to the other side. Much is still foggy about what happened that day…but enough of that…Much has happened since I left to search out your only remaining son. I write this while recovering from wounds received at the claws and teeth of a bear. It is nothing serious. I will be myself in a day or two. It was a minor thing, but I could not run and hide if it meant leaving others in harm’s way. Your son, Volunder, was there.

Volunder has changed. He has become something different than what your family raised him to be. He is not what he was. He has become something more. He has grown into a good man. But the bigger question, the one that I cannot answer yet, is if he has become the one that can lead the Stoneshield family back, that can lead us back…

Parts 1-6

Most recent entries appear near the top, and older entries appear toward the bottom.

Arrival in Kingsport (GM summary)
After averting an almost disastrous encounter with a starving grizzly bear, you and your fellow party members arrived in Kingsport on the morning of the eighth day since your departure from Magnimar (historically known as Wuldar’s Way). You learned that recent unfortunate events in Kingsport have led the citizens to hold a town rechristening festival on this very day. Nearly everyone is participating in the festive occasion, and most businesses have closed for the holiday. You did manage to rent rooms at the Rusty Dragon and alert the owner, an ex-adventurer familiar with the StoneShield family, to Volunder’s presence in your group. You also paid a perfunctory visit to the new cathedral and its high-priest, Father Zantus, before finding your way to one of the few open establishments, the Pillbug’s Pantry and its short, rotund proprietor, Aliver “Pillbug” Podiker. Delighted by having customers and then by the quality of the healing mushrooms shown to him by Kalinda, Pillbug traded healing potions in exchange for the mushrooms.

Kingsport on the Horizon (GM summary)
You discovered that the two-headed monster trailing you was a demon, but in need of rest, you chose to scrape its putrefying corpse over the cliff edge and remain in a somewhat protected location. Hours before sunrise, you resumed your journey to Kingsport and crossed over the bridge where you first encountered Tom and Rob (such memories!). Shortly afterward, goblin riders on goblin dogs spied your torches in the darkness and pounced on you.

Being cowards who avoid a fair fight whenever possible, two ganged up on Whisper, and despite her killing one of them, the rogue quickly became dog food. Exerting your prowess, you eventually won the fight – including a battle-field execution of the goblin captured by Volunder – and suddenly a stranger on a horse appeared. Looking exhausted and weather beaten, the man offered his aid and introduced himself as Evan Orm, and using his skill in the healing arts, he brought Whisper back from death’s door. To your mutual benefit, you allowed the stranger to travel with you for the day and then made an early camp so he could recover from his exhaustion. Grateful – in his somewhat acerbic manner – for watching over him, he rewarded you before departing on an errand to the east.

It is late evening, and you are camped just outside a wooded area a few miles from Kingsport. You have not recovered your strength from the day’s travel. Do you enter the woods now, or wait until morning? What is your plan when you reach Kingsport? Will Tar get over the shock from facing a demon?

Marching to Kingsport (GM summary)
You and your fellow adventurers have just slain a foul, snarling monster with two heads and four arms. Your watch (cough Bran, cough Whisper) failed miserably and did not notice its approach until too late. After scaling the rock face in a flash, the monster surged into your camp and withstood the grievous wounds many of you inflicted. With a vicious slash from a hooked sword, the creature snagged Bran and chomped down on his shoulder with one of its grotesque heads. The devastating attacks nearly killed the samurai, who incredibly remained conscious despite his massive injuries, and the veteran warrior had just enough strength to gut the creature with his katana.

The sky darkens with the setting sun, and you are all heavily fatigued from forced marches these past two days. From what you have seen and felt, you know evil is taking hold in Varisia, and you intend to stop it … if there is time.

Weirdness at Westmont (GM summary)
Having sent Tom on his way with a firm good riddance, you were accompanied by thickening clouds on your side trek to Lord Westmont’s estate. Upon reaching the badly damaged manor house, you found it overrun by strange little plant men who fiercely defended their new lair with claws and poison darts. In the battle, Whisper and Kalinda tried to pick off the creatures on the roof, while Bran heroically launched himself onto the roof to confront the swarm. Volunder, with Rob protecting his flank, and Tar approached the main entrance, and horrified by the number of creatures and bulging corpses inside, the dwarf tried to burn them out with his precious pouch of tobacco. You also unexpectedly regained Tom as a companion, who re-aggravated his injuries trying to help. Volunder, adhering to his code of ethics despite Tom’s apparently useless and irritating nature, assisted the disabled soldier to move out of range as your party retreated from the vicious horde.

It is the late afternoon of the fourth day since your departure from Magnimar. Sunset approaches.

What will you do?

Seeking Lord Westmont’s Estate (GM summary)
You have added Tom and Rob to your party and are traveling to find the estate of their former liege, Lord Westmont, whose defenses were supposedly over-run by goblins nearly three weeks ago. After you set up camp for the evening, Tar began watch by circling the perimeter, and he accidentally uncovered a hidden underground chamber, long forgotten and undisturbed.

Volunder entered ahead of everyone else … and undead skeletons burst forth from the far wall and rushed him! For unknown reasons, the dwarf collapsed to the ground before the onslaught hit him, and the grisly creatures swarmed past him to attack the rest of you. It took a mighty effort by all — including the valiant Rob but perhaps not so much the inept Tom — to fend off and destroy the monsters. You discovered twin secret vaults holding gold coins and magical treasure — a katana, a vial of liquid, and a ring.

On the Road to Kingsport (GM summary)
You are making the journey to Kingsport, approximately three days northeast of Magnimar (historically known as Wuldar’s Way), to investigate the legendary haunted house. You are working under contract for Bonaventure’s Bold and Brave, a fledgling adventuring company based on Magnimar.

During your first night on the road, you easily defeated a band of goblins apparently drawn to the light of your campfire, although they acted oddly and were quite far from their inland strongholds. In the late afternoon of your second day of travel, you met sentries guarding a bridge and collecting a toll, however, mayhem ensued — you slew two of the guardsmen and knocked out the spokesman, while the remaining guard surrendered herself and pleaded for mercy.